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I love Britain. I love the tea, the rain and the 5 minute summers. However, there is one thing that I don’t love about this country, and that is our method of learning languages. Traditionally we learn languages such as French, Spanish and German in classrooms, jotting down grammar tables and practicing with vocab sheets, then when people go abroad, they struggle with speaking the language with natives as they both have no understanding of the accent and not enough emphasis is put on oral classes at school. Schools could counter this with more language assistants being employed, and a restructured system.Continue reading →

In the UK we’re used to speaking one language and expect for most professions and circumstances that interactions on a daily basis will be in English (unless we work in a profession where only a foreign language is used). However, in many European countries the language used within a state is often far more variable and nuanced depending on the geographical, political, social or professional context.

At the heart of this myriad of intersecting linguistic codes, unwritten understandings and politics lies Belgium, a small nation of 11,2 million people literally at the crossroads of Europe, not only in political terms as the de-facto capital of the European Union but also as a meeting place of European languages and cultures.
Having lived in Belgium for the last 6 months and being a passionate historian and linguist in my academic days I found the experience of living in a country where 3 languages both contrast and co-exist a fascinating opportunity and one which anyone who has spent a little time in Belgium will fully appreciate !
Below I have selected a choice few examples that help illustrate the complexity of language and how it effects the identity of a country and how other Europeans perceive it.Continue reading →

It’s sad to think that languages are becoming less and less learnt and enjoyed by pupils in schools. Increasingly they are becoming unpopular, and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard the attitude ‘but everyone speaks English anyway?’

It’s true – English is one of the most popular business languages in the world, so maybe it’s right we stop focusing on languages and look elsewhere for our skill set…or is it?

You will hear a multitude of languages when walking through the streets of London. The capital is a highly diverse and multicultural hotspot. Many, including myself, are not native Londoners or even English. And yet, many of us ‘foreigners’ will share a desire to experience and explore the capital to the fullest and to integrate and learn as much as possible about the culture we now form a part of. For me personally, England is the 7th country I have lived in thus far. As a result, attempting to integrate into a new society and culture is by no means a foreign concept to me. Here are my top 5 tips on how to do so:

The 20th century firmly cemented English in its position as the world language – the remnant of an empire, the tool of our global village, the hammer that broke down cultural walls. But where English thrives, so too do other languages suffer.

Save the whales, save the trees … save the languages! “What’s in it for me?” I hear you cry – well here’s a list of why learning German, in particular, actively improves your life and saves a dying species:

So you’ve finally finished University, you’re still in Italy and you’ve just started thinking about what your next step will be. A million questions are flowing through your mind and you are seriously considering leaving the “Bel Paese”.

Then suddenly the cosmopolitan and multicultural English capital flashes before your eyes: “why don’t I go to London and build my career and success there?“

Great idea! However, before making this decision, you need to make a list of things to consider and to do before leaving the sunny country – if you really want to have a job and success in the UK.

This Applied Languages student is officially two months into her internship at the Frankfurt Office of Euro London Appointments. The aim of this endeavour was to gain some valuable work experience and of course to improve my level of German. While all is thankfully going well in the office, what of my language learning? Has my German improved over the last two months and in my opinion is applying for an internship at Euro London Appointments a worthwhile investment of the language learner’s time?

The rest of Europe may jump to the conclusion that it’s la belle vie when it comes to the French working week, with the stereotypes of the 35 hour week and 2 hour lunches. However not all is as it seems, the 35 hour working week is often but words on a contract ignored not by employers but by employees.